If One Thing's True
by QuietLittleVoices
Summary: Dean and Cas met online when they were fifteen and have been friends ever since. Dean's in love with Cas but he's never gonna do anything about it because he doesn't think he has a chance. He couldn't be more wrong. ((Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics))


**A/N:** This is my first a/b/o ficlet so I'm not sure I got everything right... I did look at a bunch of different things before writing this but there could still be elements that are wrong.

* * *

_I missed you._

The message appears on his screen and Dean doesn't bother to hide the grin that it brings to his face. He doesn't have to, after all; Cas can't see him. That thought effectively wipes the smile from his face, because more than anything he wishes that Cas _could _see him – he'd rather have to hide his smiles if it meant that Cas could be there, than get to show them freely when there's thousands of miles between them.

They'd met just over five years before, when they were both fifteen and had just presented. Dean had been self-conscious of his omega status, and even more so when he learnt that Cas was an alpha. But Cas had comforted and assured him that he was good, and that he wasn't lesser than alpha's or beta's, despite what his father or society said.

_I missed you, too_, Dean types as soon as he gathered his thoughts again.

_Castiel is typing…_

Dean sighs and lays on his side, holding his phone in front of his face. He'd long ago become accustomed to the constant ache of being in love with Cas, long ago resigned himself to the painful limbo of both _having_ and _not having_. Because he knew Castiel felt the same, could feel the emotions in the way they said 'I missed you' or 'I saw something and I thought of you'. It didn't matter, though; there was as much distance between them as was possible for two people in the same country. Meeting, in real life, would be difficult, and both of them knew it. Anyway, Dean knew that they probably weren't meant for each other in the first place; Cas would find his mate, probably in university, and then would settle down and make a family. Dean wasn't about to stand in the way of his friend's happiness, even though he knew it would hurt him.

He was pretty sure that if he found his own mate, they wouldn't want him. Or worse – he wouldn't want _them_, because no one could mean more to him than Castiel. Dean tried not to think about these things too much, even though he knew they were coming. It hurt enough to consider; he wasn't looking forwards to the future.

_I may have purchased a plane ticket_, says Cas' message when it finally comes through.

_Where are you going?_

Instead of getting a verbal response, his phone started making an annoying ringing noise and the screen turned mostly blue except for the circle of Cas' Skype icon, which was just a picture of himself looking confused. _Castiel is calling you._

Dean shifted so that he was sitting normally and hit the green 'accept call' button. "Where are you going?" he asked again, aloud this time.

Cas licked his lips, looking uncomfortable. If he didn't want to talk, Dean wondered why he'd called. He wasn't complaining; he loved to see Cas' face reacting in real time, loved hearing his voice. Not that he'd ever admit it. "Kansas," he answers, not looking at the webcam. "Lawrence, specifically."

Dean feels his breathing get stuck in his throat. "Are you serious right now? Please tell me you're not pulling my leg."

The dark haired boy shakes his head. "I'm serious, Dean; I'll be there in a week. I can e-mail you the flight details so you can meet me at the airport… if you'd like that, of course. If you don't, that's fine, too, I can just –"

"I'll be there," Dean answers quickly. "I never ask time off from Bobby; he'll give me this. I'll be there."

Cas smiles big, ear to ear. It's Dean's favourite smile, because it's _real_. "Good. I can't wait to see you, Dean."

"Me, neither."

* * *

It's the slowest week of Dean's life. He'd asked Bobby right away if he could get the day off and the old man had agreed, stating that Dean could take the whole _month_ off if he wanted. Dean was almost tempted to take him up on that offer, but he wasn't sure how long Cas would be in town.

And then he was waiting at the airport for Cas' plane to come in and it was like the past week hadn't happened at all. He couldn't sit still in his excitement, watching the screens to see if the flight was still on time. It was, and it had been the fifteen times he'd already checked in the previous hour.

And then it was time – 10 A.M.

The twenty minutes between the time the plane landed and the time he saw a familiar dark head of hair were the longest minutes of his life. It was worth it, though, when he got to see Cas's smile for the first time. It was different in person than behind computer screens in a way that Dean couldn't describe adequately.

They don't say anything at first, just wrap their arms around each other and hold on tight, Cas' carry-on laying forgotten at their feet. Dean buries his face in Cas' neck instinctively and breathes in, overwhelmed by a scent that could only mean _home_ – one that was familiar despite the fact that he'd never experienced it before.

"I don't think you ever had anything to worry about," Cas murmurs against Dean's shoulder. "It was always going to be you; I wouldn't have it any other way."

Dean pulls back slightly to look Cas' in the eye. "And you… you want this? You're okay that you and me are supposed to be mates?" He laughs and looks away from the alpha. "I'm just me, Cas, and you know me better than anyone. I'm not really worth giving up a good life for."

"You _are_ a good life to me, Dean; I've wanted this since we were teenagers."

Cas cut off Dean's protest by pressing a light kiss to his mouth. Dean smiles into it and presses forwards. As they break apart again and smile at each other, Dean realizes that he'll have to take Bobby up on his offer of getting more time off.

But that was a problem for later. Now, he threaded his fingers with Cas' and dipped to pick up the forgotten bag. "Let's get your stuff and go home, okay?"

Cas smiles. "Okay."


End file.
